peerage
Americannoun
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the body of peers of a country or state.
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the rank or dignity of a peer.
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a book listing the peers and giving their genealogies.
noun
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the whole body of peers; aristocracy
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the position, rank, or title of a peer
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(esp in the British Isles) a book listing the peers and giving genealogical and other information about them
Etymology
Origin of peerage
First recorded in 1425–75, peerage is from the late Middle English word perage. See peer 2, -age
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He refused a peerage four times from prime ministers Disraeli and Gladstone.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Challenged on the peerage at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir said Lord Doyle had not given "a full account of his actions".
From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026
Sir Keir's judgement is also being questioned over the peerage given to former communications chief Lord Doyle, who lost the Labour whip over his links with a convicted sex offender.
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
Following his peerage, he became Baron Offord of Garvel, of Greenock in the County of Renfrew, and was appointed as a junior minister in the Scotland office.
From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025
Lords produced lords—not because peerage was hereditary, but because intelligence was.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
